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For decades, Las Vegas buffets were a tourist jackpot. Today, food halls are a big draw.
Even “Pawn Stars” boss Rick Harrison has noticed the evolution of people’s eating habits, calling the buffet’s decline an example of “Darwinism.”
“You know, 100 years ago, lobster was considered poor people’s food, so everything has changed,” Harrison told Fox News Digital in a video interview from his restaurant, Rick’s Rollin Smoke Barbeque & Tavern.
“We don’t cut the time,” Harrison saidl. “It’s not 15-and-a-half hours. It’s not 15 hours and 45 minutes. It’s 16 hours, every bit of it.”
Harrison said all the meat at his restaurant is locally sourced.
“We’re kind of known for our burnt ends,” he added. “For people who don’t know what the burnt ends [are], that’s the fatty side of the brisket.”
Harrison said he was born and raised in North Carolina, which he called “mostly the barbecue capital of the world.”
“I wouldn’t fall for the gimmicks,” he said, noting there are still places to eat “a good ol’ American steak” for $50 to $80.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority recently released its numbers for July visitors, noting a 12% drop from last year.
There were 3,089,300 visitors in July compared to over 3.5 million last year, while occupancy on the Strip dropped 7% from 86.5% in 2024.
Harrison attributed the decrease to “people skipping vacations” due to inflation.
The great thing about Vegas, he said, is the variety of food offerings.
“You have everything from a food court to five-star restaurants,” Harrison said.
“So, it’s a little bit of everything here. … You got something for every budget here.”
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